Stay healthy by storing food properly

Since the period of the global financial crisis, consumers have been increasingly inclined to return to the use of locally produced fruit and vegetable products as well as canned vegetables and fruits themselves. at home to preserve them longer. The negative side of this approach is that if the food is improperly preserved, consumers may become ill or die from food poisoning , according to the study of the expanded nutrition counseling program. University of California.

If you do it right, then canning can be safe and safe at home. The process of making canned foods includes the following stages, placing food in a box and boiling it to a certain temperature to kill microorganisms capable of rancid, rotten food.

(Artwork: Theatlantic)

During the heating process, the air is pushed out of the box and when it cools, close the lid of the box, to prevent air and microorganisms from returning.

If the processing of food according to experimental formulas is not strictly followed, it will lead to microorganisms that exist in food and damage canned food. More tragically, consumers may suffer from food poisoning because of improperly packed canned foods at home. Poisoning is a rare disease but if not treated promptly can still lead to death, some cases of poisoning may be paralyzed by nerve toxins from Clostridium botulinum bacteria.

There are two ways to store safe canned foods: Boiled water boiling method and canned pressure method . Boiling through boiling water is used to treat high acid found in foods such as fruits. Canning pressure method must be used with foods such as vegetables, meat and spaghetti and salsa sauces. You must always check and follow the instructions of the recipes to ensure safe home-canned food.

' It is very important to follow the instructions of the science testers on canning to avoid illness .' According to Susan Algert, the nutrition counseling program UC Cooperative Extension nutrition advisor for Santa Clara County. ' The method of boiling through boiling water is safe for fruits, candies, jams, jellies, pickles and other acidic foods ,' she says. Boil water at 100 degrees Celsius and heat for a certain period of time.

High acid foods like natural peaches have a pH of 4.6 or less and sufficient acidity to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Preserve high-acid canned foods by boiling through boiling water.

' Some foods, such as tomatoes, pears and figs, have a pH of up to 4.6 and must have more acid to reduce the pH, can also be used to boil over boiling water for preservation ,' Algert said. pH can be lowered by adding commercial bottled lemonade or powdered citric acid.

When making homemade salsa or other tomato products, algert recommends that you follow a scientific experimental method that has been proven safe and uses commercial bottled lemon juice to increase acidity. .

' You can't use juice from a fresh lemon because we don't know the exact amount of acid in it ,' Algert said. ' Commercial lemon juice meets the standards for the amount of acid needed. '

To be able to preserve low-acid vegetables such as green beans without pressure cookers, you should first pick up vegetables, which is a method to increase the amount of acid in vegetables to prevent clostridium botulinum bacteria. develope.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria can form spores (biological membranes), a heat-resistant form of bacteria that can survive at boiling temperatures. If spores survive because you have not boiled water long enough as recommended, the bacteria can survive, grow and produce toxins. Clostridium botulinum can thrive in low-acid foods such as meat and vegetables, even if the box is closed, without air entering.

' Only a safe method to preserve vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood to prevent botulism is canned pressure ,' Algert said. ' These foods have a low acidity which requires the bacteria to be killed at temperatures of at least 116 degrees Celsius, within the specified time, depending on the type of product. This temperature can only be achieved by using canned pressure method. '

To ensure the safety of using home-canned foods at home, Susan Algert recommends that people use a new, standard-seal cover according to the strict guidelines of a scientifically tested scientific process. canned food at home.